Abdel J Fuenmayor1, Abdel M Fuenmayor. 1. Cardiovascular Research Institute of the University of The Andes, Mérida, Venezuela. ajf@cantv.net
Abstract
UNLABELLED: Radiofrequency (RF) ablation is a curative treatment for many different types of cardiac arrhythmias but its application has been more limited in the paediatric population. We here describe RF paediatric ablation experience at a 400-bed University Hospital in a western Venezuelan province and compare it with the results reported in other countries. METHODS: One hundred and fifty five patients under 18 years of age who where submitted to RF ablation between 1994 and 2007 were included. The patients were 12.8+/-3.4 year-old (rank: 3-17 years); 59% were female. Nine patients were submitted to more than one procedure. AV nodal re-entrant tachycardia and atrio-ventricular re-entrant tachycardias mediated by accessory pathways made up 83% of the ablations. The overall success rate was 91.5%. In the AV nodal re-entrant tachycardia and atrial flutter, success rate almost reached 100%. Ablation was successful in 93% of the patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The overall complication rate was 5% with 0.6% of major complications and 0% death rate. The results were comparable to those recently reported by the cooperative paediatric ablation registry in the United States of America and by a large hospital in Taiwan. CONCLUSION: RF ablation is a curative therapy with a high success rate and very low complication rates in the paediatric population at the Cardiovascular Research Institute of the University Hospital of The Andes in Venezuela.
UNLABELLED: Radiofrequency (RF) ablation is a curative treatment for many different types of cardiac arrhythmias but its application has been more limited in the paediatric population. We here describe RF paediatric ablation experience at a 400-bed University Hospital in a western Venezuelan province and compare it with the results reported in other countries. METHODS: One hundred and fifty five patients under 18 years of age who where submitted to RF ablation between 1994 and 2007 were included. The patients were 12.8+/-3.4 year-old (rank: 3-17 years); 59% were female. Nine patients were submitted to more than one procedure. AV nodal re-entrant tachycardia and atrio-ventricular re-entrant tachycardias mediated by accessory pathways made up 83% of the ablations. The overall success rate was 91.5%. In the AV nodal re-entrant tachycardia and atrial flutter, success rate almost reached 100%. Ablation was successful in 93% of the patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The overall complication rate was 5% with 0.6% of major complications and 0% death rate. The results were comparable to those recently reported by the cooperative paediatric ablation registry in the United States of America and by a large hospital in Taiwan. CONCLUSION: RF ablation is a curative therapy with a high success rate and very low complication rates in the paediatric population at the Cardiovascular Research Institute of the University Hospital of The Andes in Venezuela.